Compiling a family tree

Cacran

I have been on genes reunited and have managed to make a start on my family tree. If I want to look into census records or contact anyone, I need to pay a subscription. As I am a bit tight (yes, just a bit!!!!) I don't want to pay if I can get around it. Is there anyone out there that knows of a free way to do it?

[Deleted User]

My local library has a subscription to Ancestry so it could be worth checking with your county library service.

The 1871 census is available from several sites free of charge

Mojisola

It's the 1881 census that is available for free.

The library is a good place for Ancestry.

https://www.rootschat.com is a good free site where people will do look-ups for you and help with suggestions when you get stuck.

If you visit the Records Office in the area your family came from you will be able to look up parish records and all sorts of other useful records.

Francesanne

Why not take advantage of this 14 day free trial on Ancestry http://landing.ancestry.co.uk/intl/uk/trial/

Francesanne

Ooops sorry but forgot to mention Family Search which is also very good and free https://www.familysearch.org/

wealdroam

Not census records, but FreeBMD is a very useful site.

And as it's name suggests, should fit your budget.

[Deleted User]

Sorry typing error in previous post Mojisola corrected year. www.freecen.org.uk is not nearly as comprehensive as free bmd but you might be lucky.

A few of my ancestors have been well researched by others and they have put their family trees up on a web page. It is always worthwhile just typing in a name and location to see if the research has already been undertaken. Also worth trying the familiy history association for the area in which you are researching (just search for family history society and the county). Some of them have pages that you can access free of charge (the Devon FHS site for example is excellent).

BBc History message board has a family tree section and people may be able to do a lookup for you if you get stuck.

Mojisola

onewom wrote: »

SA few of my ancestors have been well researched by others and they have put their family trees up on a web page. It is always worthwhile just typing in a name and location to see if the research has already been undertaken. Also worth trying the familiy history association for the area in which you are researching (just search for family history society and the county). Some of them have pages that you can access free of charge (the Devon FHS site for example is excellent).

BBc History message board has a family tree section and people may be able to do a lookup for you if you get stuck.

All good advice! If you go to the library to use Ancestry, do a search of the family trees on that site as well.

One word of warning, though. Not everybody who does research does it well so, if you find your relatives on someone else's tree, use it as a starting point rather than accepting it as all true.

[Deleted User]

Mojisola wrote: »

All good advice! If you go to the library to use Ancestry, do a search of the family trees on that site as well.

One word of warning, though. Not everybody who does research does it well so, if you find your relatives on someone else's tree, use it as a starting point rather than accepting it as all true.

I agree. I have seen some very poor research (children born to parents who were only a few year old themselves) and some huge assumptions about relationships with more common names in my family tree.

Although not "money saving" I think memership of a local Family History Society is usually good value and members research seems to be thorough.

Farway

You could always check out the Goons if not called Smith

Guild of one name studies, not Harry Secombe & co, they collect all the names & links of one surname, so Smith is a non starter, Perouzel you are in with a chance

catfish50

Francesanne wrote: »

Ooops sorry but forgot to mention Family Search which is also very good and free https://www.familysearch.org/

I agree, Family Search is a wonderful resource. The Mormons filmed many of the parish records of England, and these are accessible via the IGI on the Family Search site.

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

You have to be careful though. Mixed in with the genuine parish records are many many unverified records which have been uploaded by various people and may be completely inaccurate.

If it is a genuine parish record, it will say something like "Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record."

If it doesn't say "extracted", it's not a parish record and should be ignored or taken with several truckloads of salt.